Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-03
VITAL STATISTICS.
ATTENTION CALLED TO ! NATTER OF MUCH
IMPORTANCE
Health Officer Garrson Makes Plea toE the Complete
Registry C; Marriages aud ButhS-The
Publication Of Health Reports
Urged by Him.
z. n. EA.nr Of n. N-li.,.r.

SlR:-IhlS Office Is IN almost daily re-
ceipt OF health reports from towns and
cities all over the country, whose Health
Officers evidently suppose we are interested
in such matters, though ! can not under
stand why they should, ~ NJ sanitary re-
ports are ever sent out from Wheeling.
These reports are replete with interest
ing data pertaining to the growth and
prosperity as well as the health Of the re-
spectiyc towns and cities from which they
come. They set forth the number OF
deaths, with cause, sex, color, age, and
nativity, together with the number of
marriages and the number of births, male
and female, for the week, month, or year,
rs the case may be- The most of them
contain statement of meteor0lOgy,
daily average consumption OF va
ter, and length Of mains.
They give the area Of the city approx
mately: the number of miles of paved or
MacadamiZed streets the number of miles
of sewers, with cost of construction and
maintenance, description of the parks,
etc, and i'll fact are a complete sanitary
history.
While other cities are adopting our meth
ods Of street paving and are contemplating
following our example in burning all city
waste, would it not be well for us 10
make such changes i'll our sanitary regu-
lations as will at least compare iavorably
with modern sanitary methods elsewhere?
Our registration of deaths and burialS
!S An excellent one, and can not be imprOv-
ed upon. But We have no system OF reg
iStratiou of marriages and births.
There are many practical uses 10 which
the transcripts OF records, especially oi
births, are put. The records themselves
remain filed. but the certified transcript
of them is by law accepted rs prima ttci"
evidence Ot the event certified; ol course If
the event is not on record the transcript
cannot issue.
From the latter omission flows variety
OF losses and di>lppointmcntS that cannot
bc realized by any person not conNcr>int
with the workings oi this or some similar
branch of the public service.
With regard 10 many settlements OL
property and lineage, the law demands
proof of the events of birth and marriage,
and vet the law virtually leaves ii optional
to great degree whether the proof thereof
shall he publically recorded at or near the
time when the events occurred.
Many applications for p. ch transcripts
have been made to this office, but N vain,
because births and marriages are not re-
corded.
1t may he possible, 10y means Of allida-
wits, to repair these omissions il the lapse
Of wears is not too great, hut the physician
or the clergyman who, At some former day,
could have made the record demanded
may he dead or beyond reach, and then il
is impossible, or at least extremely diff
cult, to secure the evidence required.
Whereas at some former time, il might
! have been recorded at the cost Of a few mo-
mcntS Labor.
| know of 4 caSr i'm this city, which j.
/ only one ol many, that Is Il far lllustra
| ton. \ poor woman whose husband Was
"A soldier and WAS al the time of his death
the recipient OF pension from thrGovcrn-
ment. for injuries received while III the
army. was unable t. secure Tor herself
and little children the pension which
! Illt law IlbN l'liN ipl NA' " Nl'i'NN tAi'l w
phaus of United States soldiers, because
her marriage had ncycI been recorded, the
certificate had been lost, and the clergy
man who performed the ceremony was
dead.
1t frequently happens that the lcgtI-
mate disposition ol enormous sums "i
money hinges upon the proof oi a single
! birth or marriage Many person i poor
! to-day who might he IN the enjoyment 0I
| his urhtiul inheritance il i, could rStab-
| ll,h the fac, ui his descent or legitimacy.
| The rich have their title deeds ana places
Of safe deposit provided 10y their own pru-
urHr" The interests of property have been
| Icalouslv guarded from early timcs IN halls
aud courts Of record, but the poor have
only he vital records Ia protect them IN
their rights. and on this account the par
ish registry law of England has been found
to operate especially in the interests of the
very poor; 80 much 50 that it has hccn aptly
called "thc poor man charter.
The poor prnsiOncr of our general ,'Ov-
eminent j. obliged To show, by transcript
| irOmi oar records, the facts of birth, death
and the like necessary tO establish his
! identity and family relations, and much
! disappointment and misery results from the
nOn-rrcistraton of births and marriages.
! At times the omission may he rcmcdied by
an order of court, and then consider
able expense Tor legal service j. added To
! the other annOyanccS.
\ gentleman in the legal profession told
me not long since, that he receives varI'
cty OF inquiries relating Ia the tranSmls-
| sion ol property, or the legitimacy and
| identity of individuals, that can only be-
answered satisfactorily by m official tran
| script nf the record. OltcntImeS We are
obliged to di-appoint very urgent requests
for oar evidence in these important rcla-
! tions 0fliir. for the reason that it Is not
made the duty OF physicians and clergy
men to report upon births or marriages at
| A time when all necessary facts are readily
accessible.
In addition to the above, foreign govern
mrnts. through their cOnsuIatcs. have ire
uurnt occasion To consult Our records ana
| pr0cure official copies Tor q variety Ol pur-
poses affecting sanitary, or some other pun
| lie service. In almost every European
country the laws have Tor centuries looked
after birth registration, until II has become
with their people matter oi course 80,
when applications by those living under
such laws come 10 us which we can not
satisfactorily meet, the result Is COM
mingled surprise and disappointment
The full registration Of deaths and their
c,u,cs is provided tor by ordinance under
what is Known ~ the compulsory permit
system" 1t may properly be- briefly de
| fined as follows. 40 dead body oiany per
son diving within the city may he removed
from. orevcn transported through the streets
Of thr rity. except there shall accompany
each BODY an officially ISSUED permit for
transit or burial, which perml! shall bc Is
| sued only upon the presentation to the
! Health Officer of a satisfactory certificate
of death and the cause thereof, sign
ed by the attending physician, or the
| Coroner of the county This plan Is rein
forced hy regulation iorbIddIng the
keepcrs OF cemeteries to receive bodies Tor
| interment unless there accompanies them
the official permit uf burial. The M
! tcrmcut Of bodies OF sti!l-bIrths Is gov
erned by similar regulation.
! The system was first brought into requI-
sition i'm 80, under the ordinance entitled
| Health Officer aud Registration Of Deaths
and Burial and has since proved so ei-
! fective that II has been retained without
alteration. Under this plan, the certiii-